Wednesday 24th May 2006

Aston Martin Rapide is go

Four-door car to rival Porsche Panamera

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Aston Martin Rapide

Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez has confirmed that the company will build the Porsche-rivalling Rapide, the four-door concept unveiled at the Detroit motor show earlier this year.

Bez said that the company was not yet accepting orders but that "the car will be built". He pointed out that the Rapide will reach the market before Porsche's four-door Panamera, which leaves Aston Martin a mere 2.5 years in which to develop the machine.

Specification

The car will boast four seats and doors and be based on a stretched version of the VH aluminium monocoque platform used by the DB9 and V8 Vantage.

The 1,900Kg Rapide's engine, also found in the DB9, will be uprated from the earlier car's standard 450bhp to 480bhp. The quad-cam V12 will sit in the nose and drive the rear wheels through a rear-mounted, paddle-shift controlled auto 'box.

The car looks to be some five metres long, about 300mm longer than the DB9, and about 40mm higher and wider than the DB9. According to Autocar, the car's creator, designer Marek Reichman, rear access and packaging have given ground to the need to create a shape that's low and sleek.

Just when you thought that Aston would be settling back and counting the pennies from pent-up demand from the DB9 and V8 Vantage, instead it's proved the versatility of the VH platform, and the speed with which it allows the Ford subsidiary to produce new models.

The Rapide is likely to cost some £160,000 and be produced at a rate of some 500 a year -- about 10 per cent of Aston's planned total production volumes.

Related stories

• Aston's Rapide shows its metal
• Aston shows new four-seat cruiser

[Andrew D]

The Article said:

Porsche-rivalling Rapide

Porsche rivaling eh? In what way? Presumably in that it's got four doors, which is where the similarity ends. The Panamera Turbo will probably cost £80k. The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more!

[r988]

Andrew D said:

The Article said: Porsche-rivalling Rapide Porsche rivaling eh? In what way? Presumably in that it's got four doors, which is where the similarity ends. The Panamera Turbo will probably cost £80k. The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more!

and probably be slower and less reliable, maybe uglier but the porker isn't exactly a looker either, this looks like a db9 thats been on the pies too long.

[Podie]

Andrew D said:

The Article said: Porsche-rivalling Rapide Porsche rivaling eh? In what way? Presumably in that it's got four doors, which is where the similarity ends. The Panamera Turbo will probably cost £80k. The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more!

Fair point, but Aston have beaten them to the market place...

[GregE240]

Podie said:

Andrew D said: The Article said: Porsche-rivalling Rapide Porsche rivaling eh? In what way? Presumably in that it's got four doors, which is where the similarity ends. The Panamera Turbo will probably cost £80k. The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more! Fair point, but Aston have beaten them to the market place...

Not yet they haven't mate....

The AMV8 didn't exactly make it on time, did it?

[Podie]

GregE240 said:

Podie said: Andrew D said: The Article said: Porsche-rivalling Rapide Porsche rivaling eh? In what way? Presumably in that it's got four doors, which is where the similarity ends. The Panamera Turbo will probably cost £80k. The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more! Fair point, but Aston have beaten them to the market place... Not yet they haven't mate.... The AMV8 didn't exactly make it on time, did it?

Fair point. Aston do have a tangible product

Anyone got a pic of the Panamera?

[LooseCannon]

Great, that'll be how many Astons I can't tell the difference between now? 5?

[petrol_noggin]

LooseCannon said:

Great, that'll be how many Astons I can't tell the difference between now? 5?

www.specsavers.co.uk

[Andrew D]

Podie said:

Fair point. Aston do have a tangible product Anyone got a pic of the Panamera?

Well, there's a difference between pandering around pictures of a concept car and having a finished product to sell.

I don't think there has actually been official confirmation of Panamera development being underway, so they could well just spring it on us at any point.

[runnersp]

LooseCannon said:

Great, that'll be how many Astons I can't tell the difference between now? 5?

Not really trying very hard are they?

[dinkel]

Didn't bookmark but a few weeks ago I did see a short clip of a Brit journo: Rapide driving around on a testtrack . . . must think hard but can't find: did anyone see it?

[Podie]

Andrew D said:

Podie said: Fair point. Aston do have a tangible product Anyone got a pic of the Panamera? Well, there's a difference between pandering around pictures of a concept car and having a finished product to sell. I don't think there has actually been official confirmation of Panamera development being underway, so they could well just spring it on us at any point.

Agreed (YHM)

[mini_ralf]

Bland and tasteless. Surely they can do better than that.

[Newromancer]

Andrew D said:

The Rapide (with the same power) will cost 50% more!

That won't stop my better half from wanting one.

[FestivAli]

Sorry can all the critics here name a better looking saloon? We should celebrate this, it means rich folk can stop buying Cayennes.

Ali.

[mini_ralf]

FestivAli said:

Sorry can all the critics here name a better looking saloon? We should celebrate this, it means rich folk can stop buying Cayennes. Ali.

Fair point. But it's still not as inpsiring as the DB9. I was hoping that they might try a bit harder. The Panamera if even close to the sketches I've seen so far is much more encouraging.

[3200gt]

FestivAli said:

Sorry can all the critics here name a better looking saloon? We should celebrate this, it means rich folk can stop buying Cayennes. Ali.

quatroporte? Saloons don't come any better than that. (not at the moment anyway)

[SWoll]

Sod the 4 seats, for that money I'd be buying a 599GTB

If I needed a top end car with 4 seats I'd buy a Maserati Quattroporte and save £90,000 (which should get me a very nice spec 997GT3 for the weekends).

Far too expensive IMHO.

[Andrew D]

Yeah, it's true, the Quattroporte is the way to go. As with the other Masser, the depreciation makes your eyes water, but they make a cracking used buy.

[360stimo]

FestivAli said:

Sorry can all the critics here name a better looking saloon? We should celebrate this, it means rich folk can stop buying Cayennes. Ali.

Love the Maser Quat, love the Merc CLS55 AMG

[:J:]

mini_ralf said:

Bland and tasteless. Surely they can do better than that.

If you stood in front of it, which I have, and guess you haven't, you wouldn't use the words bland and tasteless to describe it

>> Edited by :J: on Wednesday 24th May 19:04